Council doorsteps Downing Street over sprinkler funding

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Birmingham City Council has door-stepped 10 Downing Street, urging the PM to open up funding that retrofits sprinklers into tower blocks.

Birmingham is the lead authority for the retrofit campaign backed by local authorities across England.

The council’s cabinet member for Homes and Neighbourhoods Cllr Sharon Thompson delivered the letter to Downing Street, along with Joan Goodwin, chair of the City Housing Liaison Board for Birmingham.

That letter wasn’t just a Birmingham thing. Among “those undersigned” were a London deputy Mayor and top-tier representatives from eight core cities.

All were calling on government to fund the installation of sprinklers into all council and housing association-owned residential buildings above 18 metres.

In the two years since the Grenfell disaster, the All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety and Rescue Group, National Fire Chiefs Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Fire Brigades Union, the Association of British Insurers, the Fire Protection Association, London Fire Brigade and the Fire Sector Federation have all wanted retrofitting.

Despite the extent and range of support, government has so far made no related funding available.

Instead, Birmingham City Council alone has committed to spending over £54m in three years on fire safety in its 213 tower blocks.

“However, in a time of austerity, when local authorities across the country are and having budgets cut and are need to make some really tough financial choices, we need government to work with us and enable the recommendations put forward by experts to be implemented for the safety of citizens across the country,” said Cllr Thompson.